3 of 10The two cars were also calm to drive at speed, with tight steering, good responsiveness and solid feel around the road course.

Photo by Jim Fetts

4 of 10The Abarth and the Mini held up well during the brutal two-day test.

Photo by Jim Fetts

5 of 10 Behind the wheel of the Fiat, we were able to brake deeper into turn one at MIS—the fastest part of the track— than in the Mini. But it was not enough to stick with the S coupe.

Photo by Jim Fetts

6 of 10 Whether in the curves or on the straights, the S coupe pulled away from the Abarth.

Photo by Jim Fetts

7 of 10Both Mini and Fiat strapped a turbocharger onto their four-cylinder engines to boost output, to 181 hp for the S coupe and to 160 hp in the Abarth.

Photo by Jim Fetts

8 of 10Overall, both the Mini and the Fiat are solid, cute, compact sports cars. Each is a blast to throw around a track, but when it comes to overall performance, the S coupe takes the cake.

Photo by Jim Fetts

9 of 10Mini, on the other hand, didn't worry about improving handling, instead lifting the S coupe's suspension and chassis from the existing Mini Roadster on which it's based.

Photo by Jim Fetts

10 of 10On the track, the Mini's stiffness, go-kart-like handling and additional 20 hp easily outclassed the Abarth by the tune of five seconds per lap.

Photo by Jim Fetts

The Fashionably Quick

While the idea of having a Ferrari 458 Italia or a McLaren MP4-12C in the garage would thrill any car guy or gal, the reality is that a $200,000-plus supercar isn't affordable for most people. Even performance players such as the BMW M3, the Cadillac CTS-V and the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG are out of reach for many.With that in mind, we set a maximum base price of $30,000 to see what the state of the affordable performance car is today. From there we selected seven of the latest entries —ranging from a couple of cute turbocharged featherweights to a pair of potent rear-wheel-drive coupes punching in at more than 300 hp.After putting each car through instrument testing and tossing them around the infield road course at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich., we can confidently say that there's plenty of fun to be had without having to remortgage the house.

2012 Fiat 500 Abarth

Both Mini and Fiat strapped a turbocharger onto their four-cylinder engines to boost output, to 181 hp for the S coupe and to 160 hp in the Abarth. The Mini steps in at 177 lb-ft of torque (192 lb-ft with overboost), while the Fiat makes 170 lb-ft. Both send the power to the front wheels through a manual transmission, a six-speed for the Mini and a five-speed on the Abarth.

Fiat improved the 500's handling by lowering the chassis 0.6 inch, adding Koni FSD shocks and strapping on a rear antiroll bar. Mini, on the other hand, didn't worry about improving handling, instead lifting the S coupe's suspension and chassis from the existing Mini Roadster on which it's based. It then replaced the convertible roof with a hardtop, creating the stiffest, best-handling Mini on the market.

On the track, the Mini's stiffness, go-kart-like handling and additional 20 hp easily outclassed the Abarth by the tune of five seconds per lap. Apexes were hit with ease, and the Autoweek-installed bus-stop chicane was a breeze for the Mini. Whether in the curves or on the straights, the S coupe pulled away from the Abarth.

However, the Abarth closed the gap in the braking zones thanks to its big Brembos. Behind the wheel of the Fiat, we were able to brake deeper into turn one at MIS—the fastest part of the track— than in the Mini. But it was not enough to stick with the S coupe.

The Abarth is still a major improvement from the base Fiat 500, which only has 101 hp and 98 lb-ft of torque. The Abarth goes from 0 to 60 mph in 7.5 seconds, handling is outstanding when up against the standard 500, and the dual exhaust creates a loud, sporty sound.

The Abarth and the Mini held up well during the brutal two-day test. Each car was put through countless laps and slalom runs, skidpad trials and acceleration and braking tests. Both the brakes and tires on each car were ready for another couple days of heavy work by the time the test was over.

The two cars were also calm to drive at speed, with tight steering, good responsiveness and solid feel around the road course. The comfortable, supportive seats and a driver-friendly interior layout add to the sporty feel of each car.

Overall, both the Mini and the Fiat are solid, cute, compact sports cars. Each is a blast to throw around a track, but when it comes to overall performance, the S coupe takes the cake.